Spicy Chicken Crunchwrap Supreme...Do Your Thing!

Like most mothers who are days away from delivering their baby, I am totally ready to be done! I actually have been ready to go for over a week now. And, frustratingly, this baby seems to want to go the slow and easy route of arriving into this world. Many people have suggested eating spicy foods to help get labor going. So I indulged in a Spicy Chicken Crunchwrap Supreme today at Taco Bell. Not only was it delicious, but it was indeed a bit spicy! Hopefully this will help the process....and my next post will include pictures of two little Hammars!

Christmas Day

We had a great Christmas! Erika got a new baby and new baby accessories and has not stopped playing with them! Santa brought her a table that has a train set built into it. She was a little scared of the train at first, but now likes to watch it go around the tracks. Once again, the grown-ups played with all her toys more than she did, but that's why we had kids, isn't it? Hope your Christmas was great!

Matt showing Erika what Santa brought her.

She's not sure she likes it yet.

She was much better about opening her presents on Christmas.

So determined!

Drawing with Aunt Sarah on her MagnaDoodle.

Another new baby!

Christmas Early

Last weekend, when Matt's family was here to help with the house, Erika got to open her Christmas presents from them. She loved the new baby doll that her Grandpa and Grandma got her! She's been carrying it around since she opened it! I thought Erika would like to rip open the presents, but she still doesn't quite understand how exciting getting a present is. Oh well...I love to open packages so I'll do it for her again this year!

Snow Fun

Sunday morning, most of the churches in Newberg were closed. People just don't drive here when it snows! Plus, the side streets are not well kept during snowfalls so it is difficult for people to leave their house. That said, instead of going to church on Sunday morning, we took Erika sledding! She loved it! There is a park about 4 blocks from our house with a HUGE hill for sledding. A lot of other kids, and some adults, were already having fun in the snow. Matt pulled Erika on the sled all the way to the park, which she really liked. Once we got there, she only slid down the hill once before she decided she liked to be pulled a little better. Plus, Wyatt's feet started chapping and bleeding a bit (he's not much of a snow dog!) so we went home.

Here are some pictures!

Bundled up!

Going to the park.

She loved being pulled by Matt!

Right before going down the hill. She's crying because she didn't want to pose for a picture...she wanted to go!

Wyatt desperately wanted to chase all the sledders!

Matt got to pull her up the hill too.

I love sledding!

Going home.

House Party in the Snow

Yesterday was the first work party to fix up our new house. Matt's parents, sister and brother-in-law and my sister all came over to help Matt work. Please note: I am 39 weeks pregnant so I was not able to work at the house. Everyone braved the frozen tundra that is Oregon to get here. It started snowing yesterday morning and snowed throughout the day. To all my Idaho friends, you may scoff at the reaction of Oregonians of receiving 6 inches of snow in one day, as Matt and I did, but it truly paralyzes the city! Plus, we don't just get snow here, but snow and half an inch or more of ice on top of the snow, which makes for terrifying driving and often times walking. But, it's beautiful to look at! I digress.

So, once the crew showed up, they were put to work ripping up all the carpet in the 1500 square foot house (a great room and 3 bedrooms). Also, every wall and ceiling in the house was bleached and will soon be primed before being painted. The previous owners did not take care of the house so there were many stains and questionable materials on the walls that needed to be cleaned off. Additionally, the wood stove that can be seen in some pictures was removed. Our plan is to purchase a more energy efficient wood stove and then move the location so it's not right in the middle of the room. I am so thankful, once again, to have our family so close and so willing to help us out! They put in a long day yesterday, full of not very much fun work. But the house already looks a lot better! Matt is working at the house today, again, and plans on going there every night this week. We're hoping by the end of the week to have the walls cleaned and primed.

Here are some before/during pictures of yesterday's progress.

The laundry/utility room.

The kitchen. Please note: the previous owners took some, not all, of the cupboard doors. It's a mystery....

Kitchen again. Lots of potential to make it beautiful!

Dining area at the end of the kitchen.

The great room. Yes, that is carpet that is terribly stained.

Other side of the great room.

Bathroom, with linen closet.

Bathroom vanity.

One of the rooms.

Another bedroom, with beautiful carpet.

The bedroom with the carpet gone.

Happy little worker!

With the carpet gone, the house already looks (and smells) a lot better!

Bleaching the walls.

I am very excited to get new carpet and paint...the house will look completely different! And, like someone cares about it. It will be fun to see the "after" pictures...hopefully we can post them soon!

Erika and Santa

We took Erika to see Santa last night. I spent the past week going over all the scenarios in my head of how she might be with the big guy. She loves looking at Santa in pictures and decorations and on television. And she's never ever been shy...she'll be best friends with anyone! So I thought she'd be just fine with him. And she was! Matt put her on Santa's lap, she looked a little bewildered, but I think it was more bewilderment at the teenagers who were behind the camera trying to make her smile. Lately, she is not into smiling for the camera so she couldn't understand why people were yelling at her and honking horns and waving stuffed animals at her to get her to smile. The camera guy managed to get one good picture. Then, as they tried to make her smile, she had a meltdown. She cried for Daddy and Mommy and wanted off Santa's lap. But, the one picture the guy got of her was pretty good, even if she's not smiling!

Eating Cheez-Its in preparation to meet Santa.

I can't wait to meet him!

In front of Aunt Sarah's Christmas tree...chewing on Mommy's present!

Even though she's not smiling, she is still the cutest little girl!

I Like To Move It, Move It

Apparently, Matt and I can't get enough of packing and unpacking a house. We bought a house in Newberg! When we moved here, we moved into a rental house with the idea of buying a house after our house in Coeur d'Alene sold. Well, enter the current housing market and you can understand our frustration with that! However, about two months ago we found a great house at the right price. The reason for the low price is due to the fact that the house is in bad shape and needs some major work. Mostly just elbow grease, though; all the changes that need to be made are cosmetic, nothing structurally worrisome, which is a blessing. After a failed offer, then another offer being made and many stressful weeks with no word from the bank, we finally are signing the papers today! We are so thrilled with God's blessing for this house! It is such a great house and we have really great ideas of how to make it even better. It's only about 4 blocks away from our current residence, which will be nice for moving. Once we get the keys and get into the house to work on it, I'll post some pictures so you can see just how much work is needed. Our plan is to move in at the end of January. Right away, all the carpet in the house needs to be ripped up and replaced and every wall needs to be repainted. Unfortunately, the previous owners did not take care of the house before they were forced to leave it, so we have quite the workload ahead of us. Let's keep in mind that one of us is 37.5 weeks pregnant so that person will not be doing much of the work...mainly just overseeing! But, luckily we live very close to family and have a wonderful church family who have agreed to help us get the house ready to live in. Are we crazy to take on such a big housing project? Maybe. Are we crazy to do it with a 19 month old and a new little baby on the way? Probably. Please keep us in your prayers, especially for our stress level at this time. Praise God for blessing us with a new house!

Our new house!

Fa La La La La

Matt brought a tree home on Friday so we spent Saturday decorating our house for Christmas. Last year, Erika was 7 months old so she was crawling, but not quickly. We didn't have to worry about how our decorations were going to hold up. Not so much this year. We have to remind her constantly that the tree is just to look at and not to touch. She loves the lights and the ornaments. One particular Santa Claus in a helicopter ornament has been her favorite. She insists that Santa is a baby so we just agree with her and acknowledge that a baby is flying a helicopter...just look, don't touch! It's funny how she can never get tired of a conversation. She'll tell me 12 times in an hour that "baby" is on the tree. On Saturday night, we went to a local church who advertised a live nativity and petting zoo. The "petting zoo" was one little lamb...that was also the live nativity. But, the lamb was cute and soft and Erika liked to pet it, until the lamb put its face in her face. Then she had enough. On the way home, though, she kept repeating "baa" (lamb) and "girl" (the girl who was holding the lamb's leash). No matter how many times I agreed with her that we indeed see a lamb and a girl holding the lamb, she wouldn't stop repeating it. I guess that's how their vocabulary develops, though!

On another note, I only have 27 more days of carrying a baby inside me! I'm very much looking forward to being done! Hopefully, it will be less time than that. I'm anxious and excited to meet the new baby and to see how Erika likes being a big sister. She has no idea what is coming, so I just pray that she will adjust nicely, and gently with the baby!

Here are some pictures of our tree.

Helping Daddy make sure it is straight.

Waving to Santa.

Not interested in posing for a picture. Wyatt is though!

Oh, so you DON'T want me to touch the ornaments.

Tree Lighting

We took Erika to the Newberg tree lighting ceremony tonight. At the library, which is only a short walk from our house, they had a craft fair, cookies, carolers, a tree lighting ceremony and then Santa showed up on a fire truck. It was a lot of fun! Erika really liked when the tree was lit up, and she loved the bell that was given to her. I don't think she understood who Santa was and why everyone was so excited to see him, but she had fun anyway!

Erika and Daddy waiting for Santa.

Fascinated with her bell.

Erika and Mommy in front of our house. If you look closely, you will see that Matt decorated it with lights!

Still fascinated with her bell.

Hooray for Matt!

This morning, Matt passed his final test to become a Certified Purchasing Manager! The entire process started over a year ago with him taking a series of four classes. Additionally, he had to take four different tests. But, he's finally done! He won't technically be a CPM until July because you have to have three years experience as a purchasing agent and July will be his third anniversary as a purchasing agent. I am very proud of my wonderful husband! It has been a long process, but it's over! Congratulations!

Thanksgiving Part 2

So after stuffing ourselves with Thanksgiving food, we headed down to Corvallis to indulge in dessert! Months ago, I requested lemon bars as part of the Thanksgiving treats. Apparently, on Thanksgiving morning, my mother and father-in-law realized no lemon bars were present so my wonderful in-laws drove to the store on Thanksgiving morning, bought fixings to make lemon bars, and made them for me that day. How spoiled am I? Perhaps they just didn't want to upset the pregnant lady, or they just love me....I'm hoping it's the latter!

Erika loved playing with her grandma, aunt, and especially her cousin, Ashley. She didn't remember her name, or maybe just couldn't say it, so she called Ashley, "girl". Whenever she couldn't see Ashley, she would scan the room with a worried expression and say, "Girl? girl?" It was pretty sweet!

Erika with Auntie Beth

Erika and "Girl"...aka Ashley.

Ashley, Erika and Jacob

All the girls.

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I believe I mentioned that our digital camera broke back in September. We sent the camera back to the company for them to fix it. It arrived today and I was very surprised when I opened the box and the company had sent us a new camera! Apparently, due to the "lack of essential components at our repair facility", they couldn't fix our camera so they sent us a replacement new camera. The nice thing about it is, it's way nicer than our camera was. In fact, we were going to buy a camera similar to the one they sent before we had ours "fixed". Yeah for us!